The first snowfall in the southwest mountains of Ning'an since the beginning of winter in 38 years was a full day and night, and its snowfall dwarfed even the amount of snowfall in the greenhouse gases of later generations, even on heavy snowy days, and perhaps only the blizzard Cheng Dù could compare.

After a whole day and a night of heavy snowfall, the mountains were silvery white, and the snow was knee-deep. The climate in the mountains is already lower than that of the plains, and after this large-scale snowfall, the temperature in the Laoheidazi Mountain dropped sharply to about minus 30 degrees, which can be described as dripping into ice.

Looking at the thick snow all over the mountains and the cadres and soldiers who started training immediately after the snow stopped, and rubbed their faces that were frozen and painful, Yang Zhen shouted in his heart that he was lucky. If it weren't for the fact that the troops captured a large number of Japanese Kwantung Army-style winter clothes with excellent warmth performance in the first battle of Weihe County, otherwise the severe cold brought by this heavy snowfall alone would have frozen the troops hidden in the deep mountains and old forests. Like other anti-United Nations generals, he may worry about every winter coat, every grain of food, and even every bullet in the troops.

While shouting about luck, Yang Zhen was also active in the farther north area at the moment, which was more difficult. At this moment, according to Wang Guangyu's telegram, the ammunition and food have run out, and under the large-scale clean-up of the Japanese army, they can only hide in the deserted deep mountains, and the headquarters of the Second Route Army, which has no winter clothes to find, is worried.

Wang Guangyu's first telegram after finding the headquarters of the Second Route Army reported the treacherous environment facing the headquarters of the Second Route Army. In the continuous net cleaning of the Japanese puppet army, almost all the secret camps were exposed, and all the stored supplies were burned by the Japanese puppet army.

Almost every day, he had to fight against the Japanese puppet army that was chasing and intercepting the front and back, but he could hardly get any supplements, and he was already in a predicament. Almost every grain of food, every bullet has to be obtained after a hard battle, and it has to be exchanged for blood. The Third Division of the Fifth Army, which had been covering the headquarters of the Second Route Army, had almost lost more than half of its casualties, lacked food and ammunition, and died two successive division commanders.

By the time Wang Guangyu found them, the strength of the Third Division had dropped sharply to less than 50 under the encirclement and suppression of the Japanese puppet army, and with the addition of the guard troops of the Second Route Army Headquarters, the entire Second Route Army Headquarters had less than 100 covering troops.

Moreover, the most severe materials were extremely scarce, and the supplies were almost completely consumed. Although the materials brought by Wang Guangyu alleviated the dilemma faced by some of the headquarters of the Second Route Army, they could not change the overall situation.

What worries Yang Zhen even more is that when he received Wang Guangyu's telegram, the weather in Beiman had already entered early winter, and the night temperature in the mountains had dropped to about minus 10 degrees. Under the strict blockade and siege of the Japanese puppet army, the winter clothes of the headquarters of the Second Route Army were still missing.

It had only been a few days, and it was almost impossible for the Second Route Army to raise enough winter clothes in such a short period of time and under such a grim situation. Now that the temperature has dropped sharply to minus twenty or thirty degrees after this heavy snowfall, can the troops without winter clothes survive it? It is to be able to persevere, but how long can it persist in the absence of supplies and winter clothing?

He personally invited the telegram, and Li Yanping's second message showed that the telegram had been sent, but Wang Guangyu had not seen any return calls, which made Yang Zhen a little anxious. There was nothing to do but urge them on the telegram.

Yang Zhen is not without a way to select elite troops and send surplus winter clothes from inventory to the location of the headquarters of the Second Route Army. However, the severe hostile situation in the Xiajiang area soon made Yang Zhen give up this idea.

In addition to the dispatch of the whole army, under the condition that the Japanese puppet army was tightly blockaded around itself and the enemy situation in the Xiajiang area was so strict, it was almost impossible to escort a large number of winter clothes and grain through several tight blockade lines of the Japanese puppet army.

It is a vast and sparsely populated area, the Japanese army controls it extremely tightly, and its own troops have almost no foundation, and there is no intelligence to support North Manchuria, and it is not the North China region that was later infiltrated by the Eighth Route Army and established a solid grassroots organization. Under the severe situation of the enemy, abandoning the secret camp that had been established and had a solid support, and rashly attacking with troops that were still well trained and inadequate, the results achieved could only be counterproductive.

Unable to think of a way, Yang Zhen could only send a telegram a day, urging the headquarters of the Second Route Army to take advantage of the fact that the Mudanjiang River was already frozen, and seize the time to move south to eat and solve the most urgent winter clothes of the troops.

Looking at Yang Zhen, who had a gloomy face, Li Yanping, who knew what he was thinking in his heart, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Commander, don't be too anxious. The commander-in-chief has fought guerrilla warfare in the East Manchurian region for many years, and his experience should not be dangerous. The commander-in-chief's reluctance to move south was not because he did not trust us, but more because he was worried about other troops in the Xiajiang area. ”

"The departments of the Second Route Army did not have radio stations, so they could only rely on the traffic adjutants to communicate with each other. The southward movement of the General Headquarters completely severed contact with all subordinate units, especially the First and Seventh Armies of the Fifth Army, which had withdrawn from the Tongjiang and Fujin areas. Under such a severe situation of the enemy, how can you make the commander-in-chief make up his mind to move south? ”

"In the previous period of the Western Expedition and the Japanese puppet army's liquidation of the Xiajiang area, although the losses were huge, and the troops were already two or three, the Fifth Army was created by the commander-in-chief after all. There is also the Seventh Army, which is also the main force of the Second Route Army. You asked the commander-in-chief to cut off contact with them, can the commander-in-chief make up his mind? ”

Speaking of this, Li Yanping hesitated for a moment and said: "Of the three main armies of the Second Route Army, the Fourth Army has lost embers, and it can be called the entire army. The 1st Division, which had the strongest combat effectiveness of the 5th Army, was also lost with the defection of the division commander, and the 2nd Division is still missing. However, the commander-in-chief still had the Third Division of the Fifth Army and the rest of the Fourth Army and the Fifth Army left behind in the Xiajiang area before the westward expedition. There is also the Seventh Army, which is active in the north. ”

"Unlike the Third Route Army in North Manchuria and the First Route Army in South Manchuria. Since my brother was transferred away last year, almost the entire Second Route Army has been struggling to be supported by the commander-in-chief. The commander-in-chief can be said to be the backbone of the Second Route Army. ”

"Now that the enemy situation in the Xiajiang area is so strict, if the commander-in-chief leaves like this, the morale of the Xiajiang troops will be completely dispersed, and once the people's hearts are scattered, the Second Route Army will be completely finished. If nothing else, even if it is to stabilize people's hearts, the commander-in-chief will not leave lightly. ”

"Commander, there is no radio in the anti-union departments. Not to mention the divisions, there is no other means of communication between the armies and the headquarters except for the traffic officers. If the commander-in-chief wanted to command the remaining troops to continue the struggle, he could only stay in the Xiajiang area. ”

After Li Yanping said this, he also smiled bitterly. He didn't know if his words were explaining Yang Zhen or himself. Worried about the safety of the headquarters of the Second Route Army, as a veteran of the Anti-Japanese Federation, he was far more anxious than Yang Zhen. It's just that the commander-in-chief can't make up his mind to move south, and he has nothing to do.

For Li Yanping, who knows the commander-in-chief's personality very well, he is very clear about the reason why the commander-in-chief is reluctant to move south. Under the situation that the Japanese puppets were tightly blockaded, the means of communication between the various armies were single, and most of the remnants of the Second Route Army withdrew northward, once the headquarters of the Second Route Army moved south, it would mean that contact with the remnants of the Second Route Army that had withdrawn to Tongjiang and Fujin would be completely cut off. And without the commander-in-chief, the remnants of the Second Route Army will probably disperse.

Regarding Li Yanping's words, Yang Zhen shook his head: "Under the current grim shape of the Xiajiang region, the most important thing the commander-in-chief should do is to preserve his strength. Under the current situation in Xiajiang that cannot be changed at least for a short time, I think it is entirely possible to order the remaining troops of the Fourth Army, the rest of the Fifth Army, and the Seventh Army, which have retreated to the Tongjiang and Fujin areas, to cross the river and retreat to the territory of the Soviet Union for temporary rest. ”

"Retreat into the territory of the USSR? Commander, although we and the Soviet Union are the same troops, the Soviet army has always disarmed and imprisoned our troops who retreated into the territory of the Soviet Union. In February this year, the main forces of the Third Route Army's Third and Sixth Armies were forced to withdraw into the Soviet Union under the leadership of the army commander because they were outnumbered by the enemy and our outnumbered troops. ”

But as soon as the troops withdrew into the territory of the Soviet Union, they were disarmed and imprisoned by the Soviet army. More than 500 cadres and soldiers have not seen anyone alive or dead, and they don't know where to get them. The commander of the Sixth Army and several division commanders who commanded the battle have not been heard from so far. Big Brother's hand almost collapsed the Sixth Army, one of the main forces of the Third Route Army, and even the three armies with the largest number of troops were greatly damaged. You must know that those 500 people have almost all the cavalry of the Third Route Army. ”

"Together with the commander of the 11th Army and the commander-in-chief of the Third Route Army who were previously detained in the Soviet Union, we have now only three senior cadres who have been detained. As for the officers and men below the division level, I don't know how many. We really don't dare to cross the river lightly. Because getting there would mean the complete loss of the troops. And this kind of loss is far more distressing than the loss on the battlefield. ”

"At the end of last year, the commander-in-chief personally crossed the river to negotiate with the Soviet side, hoping that the Soviet Union would return the commander-in-chief of the Third Route Army and cadres at all levels to help restore contact with the Central Committee, but he did not even see a single high-ranking official, and was sent back by a major."

"You say, how dare we let our troops withdraw across the river now? Don't dare to take even a short break, because withdrawing from it would mean a permanent loss. And this kind of loss is far more unforgettable than the loss on the battlefield. ”

"I don't understand, they are all *** troops, all of them are fighting for the liberation of all mankind under the leadership of the Comintern, how can the Soviet Party do this? How could the fraternal party and the anti-Japanese armed forces it led be treated in such a way? ”

Regarding Li Yanping's incomprehension, Yang Zhen replied coldly: "What else can it be?" For the Soviets, the interests of their own country were much greater than those of the fraternal parties. There are only eternal interests between nations, and there are no eternal friends, let alone brothers. In a word, they did not want to risk war with the Japanese army and provide us with even the most insignificant assistance. ”

"But the shape of the shì today is very different from the beginning of the year. The Japanese army has greatly increased its troops in the northeast, and the number has reached hundreds of thousands. The Japanese army that we ambushed in the Weihe River was the 4th Division, which had just been transferred to Manchuria. And along the Soviet-Manchurian border, a large number of permanent fortifications were built and constructed. And these fortifications, you can say that they are defensive, or you can say that they are the starting positions built by the Japanese army for the attack on the Soviet Union. ”

Moreover, this year, while increasing the number of troops in Manchuria, the Japanese army upgraded and expanded the Kwantung Army, from the original directly subordinate divisions to all divisions and regiments under the army. In North Manchuria alone, two command organs at the army level were set up in succession. ”

"Political commissar, this army of the Kwantung Army is not comparable to the army of only 1,800 people of our Anti-Japanese Federation, and it can be called a first-level strategic command organization. On the battlefield in Guannai, a single army of the Japanese army could even command five or six mixed divisions of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and armament, and even the strength of the army could reach more than 100,000 people. ”

"These actions of the Japanese army, combined with the battle at Zhanggufeng in the middle of this year, I think the Soviet army cannot but feel great pressure. Now for the Soviet army, the movement and movement of the Japanese army are extremely important. So for the Soviet army, now we still have a certain use value. ”

Regarding Yang Zhen's words, Li Yanping frowned before he hesitated: "What the commander means is that now we can take advantage of the opportunity that the Soviet army needs those of us who are familiar with North Manchukuo to provide them with information on the Japanese army, and propose cooperation to the Soviet army." We give them intelligence, they give us some supplies, provisions? ”

Yang Zhen nodded and said, "It can be said to be cooperation, or it can be said to be utilized." And if this relationship is taken advantage of, we can get some necessary food and winter clothing, and maybe even a place to rest and recuperate on the territory of the USSR. However, don't hold on too much of this hope. ”

"But at a time when the Xiajiang area was so strict, it was better to let the rest of the Seventh Army and the Fifth Army cross the river, even if they were disarmed and imprisoned by the Soviet army, than to lose them in vain. As long as there is a change in the international situation, I think the Soviet army will always change its attitude towards us. Because they will always be useful for our day. And this time will not be too far away. ”

"For the Soviet army, the more troops in Manchuria, which was the rear of the Kwantung Army that was likely to fight them, the more advantageous it would be for them to resist the Japanese army under the situation of the continuous increase in the number of Japanese troops."

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen emphasized again: "Political commissar, you sent these words of mine to the commander-in-chief in full. Sue him, as long as people don't die and are still alive, there is a way. But if everyone is sacrificed, once the international situation changes in our favor, we will have no one to use if we want to make a comeback. As long as the backbone can be retained, it is acceptable to suffer some grievances. ”

"But there is one thing that must be noted. If the commander-in-chief agrees with the troops of the Second Route Army in Xiajiang to withdraw to the troops in the Soviet Union, he must send a competent man to take charge of it, and he must maintain the independence of the troops. ”

Maybe it's Yang Zhen's sentence that as long as people don't die and are still alive, there is a way, or maybe it's that the headquarters of the Second Route Army can no longer hold on to the Xiajiang area when the ammunition is exhausted and the food is exhausted, and there are no winter clothes. On the second day after Yang Zhen's telegram was sent, Wang Guangyu sent a telegram back: "The commander-in-chief has agreed to lead the headquarters of the Second Route Army and the rest of the Third Division of the Fifth Army to temporarily withdraw to the secret camp of Laoheidingzishan to rest and spend the winter. ”

After receiving Wang Guangyu's callback, Yang Zhen breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. But he knew that the commander-in-chief's agreement to rest here was only the first step, and how to retreat through the blockade of the Japanese puppet army was the most difficult and the most difficult.

After receiving Wang Guangyu's call, Yang Zhen immediately called Wang Guangyu back, asking him to avoid the Japanese puppet army as much as possible when he returned, and put the safety of the commander-in-chief first. And let him report the itinerary every day. At the same time, in order to prevent the password from being used for too long, it was deciphered by the Japanese army, and specially telegraphed Wang Guangyu, ordering him to terminate the use of the current set of passwords after departure. Immediately replaced with the spare password that Guo Bingxun carried for them when they set off, and the original code book was destroyed on the spot.

After sending a telegram to Wang Guangyu, Yang Zhen sent a telegram to Li Mingrui, who had carried the best of the only two five-watt radio stations in the army when he set out, so that he could communicate with the headquarters, and ordered him to be ready to respond at any time.